Roundtable addresses Domestic Violence in Mt Gambier

The Liberal Government is holding a Domestic and Family Violence roundtable in Mt Gambier today, the third roundtable in a series of DV forums across South Australia.

Minister for Human Services Michelle Lensink will attend the event, along with Assistant Minister for Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Carolyn Power.

Local domestic violence and community services providers, as well as members of the local domestic violence action group, will attend the roundtable.

Today’s meeting comes as the Marshall Liberal Government last week delivered on its key election commitments to address the scourge of domestic violence in South Australia, announcing an $11.9 million investment over the next four years towards a suite of measures to support women and children at risk.

The 2018-19 State Budget delivers a total of $4 million towards establishing 40 new emergency crisis accommodation beds for people fleeing abuse.

The bed locations are yet-to-be determined and accommodation will be placed in areas of greatest need, including in regional South Australia.

“It is critical that we continue to seek feedback from regional areas on the issue of domestic violence as we know that a one-size-fits-all approach is not good enough,” said Minister Lensink.

“These forums assist the government to establish a coherent and much needed plan for reform and enables stakeholders to provide feedback directly about issues and priorities in Mt Gambier.

“Domestic, family and sexual violence are at the forefront of the Liberal Government’s concerns regarding women’s policy and as a government, we will continue to do whatever we can to ensure women feel safe and supported and know where to turn for help.

“The statistics are truly shocking – in Australia, one in four women experience intimate partner violence, with one women killed by her partner or ex-partner almost every week.

“Sadly, in South Australia we are not immune from this problem – the scourge of domestic violence must be stopped.”

The first domestic violence roundtable was held in Adelaide in April, followed by the Riverland in June. The next regional roundtables will be held in Whyalla and Port Lincoln during October.

The roundtable is for service providers and domestic violence organisations and is not open to the public.